by Candis Terry
“Works for me.” What didn’t work half as well was trying to focus on the task at hand and not wonder where Lucy slept. Or where she bathed. Did she sleep beneath soft cotton or silky sheets? Was she a long hot bubble bath or a quick shower kind of woman?
Mind swirling in all the wrong directions, he watched her disappear up the stairs. Ziggy came over and lay down at his feet with a long groan. Jordan hoped that didn’t mean he’d passed gas. When the air remained clear, Jordan gave the top of the retriever’s head a couple of long strokes before he read the words his baby sister had written.
Chester Rabbit had seen better days. His long ears, which had once proudly stood erect, now flopped like old wet rags on either side of his head. During the move from the house where his Misty Marie had been born, to the new home where she would finish growing up, Chester had been left behind. In the chaos of the move, Chester had fallen from an overfilled cardboard box while the movers cleared out Misty Marie’s pink and yellow butterfly room.
Out in the cold, hard rain, Chester lay on the big front porch until the sun began to set behind a wall of dark, ominous clouds. The storm continued while Chester lay there waiting for his Misty Marie to come back and take him to their new home.
She would come soon. He just knew it. She would dry him off and then they would snuggle.
Night turned to day but the storm raged on. By mid-afternoon when the mail lady came by he wanted to jump up and shout, “Help me! I’ve been forgotten!” Because the alternative that his Misty Marie didn’t love him anymore was too difficult to imagine.
As the mail lady climbed the steps to place a note behind the screen door, she looked down and discovered Chester lying there, sad, wet, and bedraggled.
“Oh!” she exclaimed as she reached down, picked him up, and brushed some of the water from his face. “There you are, Chester.”
Hooray! She knew his name!
Chester’s happy rabbit heart nearly pounded from his once fluffy chest.
“Misty Marie has been crying all night because she thought you were gone forever,” said the mail lady. “I’m so glad her mommy called me and asked me to come looking for you.”
Chester wanted to cry with relief, but he was already a soggy bunny.
“Let’s get you home and all dried off so when Misty Marie comes to pick you up, you’ll look good as new.”
Chester wanted to thank the mail lady, but he was too relieved to speak through his little heart-shaped embroidered mouth.
“No worries, little bunny. We’ll get you back in the arms of the one who loves you the most.”
And as good as her word, she did.
A few hours later, Chester was snug in the arms of his Misty Marie, where he lived happily ever after.
Jordan held the pink paper tightly in his hands. He blinked fast and hard so the moisture in his eyes couldn’t escape. The story was short but beautifully written deep from within Nicki’s heart.
A heart that for whatever reason, she’d turned cold against him.
At first glance, nothing in her story indicated anything of a personal nature. But Jordan couldn’t help wondering if his baby sister wasn’t feeling a bit like Chester, a little lost and lonely, and a whole lot forgotten. He wondered if after the tragedy she’d suffered, she was worried about finding her way or her own happy ending.
At that moment Lucy came down the stairs dressed in a pair of jeans, a soft white sweater, and bare feet with light blue painted toes.
“Well?” Those light blue toes came to a stop right near the edge of the sofa where he sat. “What did you think?”
Jordan didn’t think.
He couldn’t.
Not with all the hope and gratitude lifting up his heavy heart.
Unable to speak, he stood and pulled Lucy into his arms.
God only knew how Jordan Kincade’s lips had ended up locked on to hers again. As soon as Lucy regained some use of the gray matter in her head, the sensation zapped her body like a ten-million-watt circuit. Once again his lips were surprisingly soft and warm and she found herself melting into his embrace and parting her lips when his tongue teased the seam, seeking entrance. She wrapped her arms around his neck, lifted to her toes, and kissed him back with everything she had.
He gave even more.
Someone moaned and Ziggy let go a growling bark.
Breathless, she pulled back. “Wow.”
“Wow is right.”
“That probably shouldn’t have happened again.”
“But it did. And if you give me another chance I’ll come back for more.”
So would she. Heck, if Jordan’s kisses were a hint of the passion he was capable of, sign her up for the whole shebang.
“And I’m not going to apologize,” he said.
“I wouldn’t ask you to.”
“Good.” His broad shoulders lifted in a shrug. “Because I think that kiss is something we should have done a long time ago.”
“Back then I probably wouldn’t have allowed it,” she lied.
The big bad hockey player closed the gap she’d put between them and stepped right into her personal bubble. She tried to hold her ground even though her knees wobbled like gelatin.
A corner of his mouth kicked upward. “Are you sure about that?”
“What I’m sure of is that we’ve gotten way off track. Again. And I want to hear your thoughts on Nicole’s story.” Flustered, Lucy escaped to the kitchen and set her mug of tea in the sink. To heck with herbal tea, she needed a glass of wine. A large glass. Preferably a Big Gulp size.
Opening the refrigerator door, she grabbed the bottle of Sunshine Creek Vineyards Chardonnay left over from her book club group last week.
“Nice to know you’re supporting my family’s business.”
Of course he’d followed her into the kitchen. Where else would an alpha male go when he’d been left behind? Alphas didn’t like to be left behind any more than they liked to be led. And there was no doubt in Lucy’s mind that Jordan was one hundred and fifty percent alpha.
“I support as many local businesses as I can.” She grabbed a wine goblet from the cupboard, uncorked the bottle, and poured the glass half full. “And your family makes delicious wine.”
“Aren’t you going to offer me a glass?” The lift to his dark brow suggested he might be amused.
“Don’t you have plenty at home?” Of course she should offer him a glass. But that kiss had thrown her off-kilter.
Way off.
“Probably.” He opened her cupboard door, took out a goblet, and poured himself a glass. “But it’s a lot more fun sharing with you.”
Golden liquid splashed up inside the globe as she watched him pour. He tapped his glass against hers, then took a sip. For a brief moment he remained blessedly silent while the wine settled on his taste buds.
“Nice blend. Ryan’s doing a good job.”
“Your brother is good at many things. I would guess his job is one of them.”
The frown on his face said he didn’t like her comment. When he leaned closer, the frown deepened even as something in his eyes sparked. “Let me ask you straight up. Are you interested in my brother?”
Jealousy?
No way.
“If you mean am I interested in him because he’s now one of Nicole’s guardians, then yes, I’m interested.” She didn’t know why she felt the need to reassure him. Jordan wasn’t the type of man who needed to be reassured about anything. “If you meant something different, then you’d be mistaken.”
“Are you sure about that?” He backed her toward the counter and trapped her efficiently with only the presence of his powerful body. Then he dipped his head and ran his nose up the length of her neck.
Chills drifted down her back and reawakened the girls in the basement, who were suddenly standing at attent
ion. She said, “Positively certain,” even though she wasn’t positive of anything other than she wanted her hands all over his hard muscles.
He lifted his head and smiled. “Good.”
Good?
There had been times in her life, when Lucy questioned a man’s words and the meaning behind them. “You stupid bitch” had been one she’d never had to clarify. “Good,” in this case, perplexed her enough to step into the big pile of doo to which they were most likely headed.
“I’m not quite sure I understand what you mean by ‘good.’ ”
“Then let me make this real simple.” The sparkle in his eyes spelled trouble. “Because I like to be clear about things. Especially if it comes down to being in competition with my own brother.”
“Apparently you’re not making it simple enough,” she said. “Competition for what?”
“For you, Lucy.”
Something turned over inside Jordan when Lucy blushed. And that something wasn’t quite what he’d expected.
“Don’t be ridiculous.” She grabbed the bottle of wine and headed into the living room. Ziggy followed close on the heels of her bare feet.
Jordan followed too.
“I’m not the kind of girl men fight over,” she said as she made her way toward the sofa. “It’s okay. Believe me, I’m fine with that. And please don’t tease me.”
Her clenched jaw and wide eyes made something tighten in his chest. Someone had done a number on her. Or maybe a lot of someones. Including him. God, he could kick his seventeen-year-old self’s ass right now.
“Tease you?” He held up his hands, careful not to slosh wine onto the floor. “Only in a good way. But if you think you’re not the kind of woman men would fight over, we need to have a serious talk. Because you are definitely that kind of woman.”
Expression now passive as though she didn’t believe him, she sat down on the sofa, tucked her legs up, and pulled Nicole’s paper onto her lap. “As much as I’d like to continue this exchange—please note the sarcasm in my tone—I’d much prefer to get back to the reason I called you here. Your sister’s future. You do remember that was my original intent, don’t you? And not all these deviations in subject matter?”
“What I remember is how good your lips felt on mine and how good you feel in my arms.” Intrigued, Jordan sat beside her, sipped his wine, and wondered what it would take to get Lucy to let down her hair. Literally and figuratively. “But I can assure you that my sister’s welfare is never far from my mind.”
“Then let’s discuss the next steps toward helping guide her toward a bright future.”
“You mean so we don’t have to talk about you?”
Her dark eyes turned even darker. “As much as I appreciate the compliment—”
“You’d prefer to keep the conversation about my sister.”
“Yes. So if staying on task is something you feel unable to do, please say so now. I can always contact one of Nicole’s other guardians for help in this matter.”
“Not an option.” And only because he didn’t want it to be. Any one of his brothers could handle this issue. But rediscovering Lucy after all these years was like finding the diamond in a stack of coal. And there was no way in hell he intended to share.
The realization rattled him.
Even though his friends called him cynical when it came to relationships, he’d been happy with the way his life had been going. He thought of himself as a realist—frugal of the heart and lifestyle. By choice he lived in an apartment near Charlotte instead of an expensive house on Lake Norman. He drove a Range Rover instead of a Maserati. And most nights he cooked at home instead of dining at five-star restaurants. He’d been brought up in a pennywise environment and he still tended to live that way. Not that he was cheap by any means; he had the money and could splurge at any given moment. He just had a healthy respect for the hard-hitting way he earned a living.
At the age of thirty-three, he realized his days on the ice were numbered. Most likely he had a couple more years, and then he’d have to find something else to do. He’d like to live out the rest of his life comfortably without worrying whether he’d have enough to pay the rent. In the future he wanted to invest in a business. And at some point, he’d like to come home to a wife and family.
Yes. He admired the woman Lucy had become. But was he ready for that? Was he ready to get involved with someone? And why the hell was the thought even entering his mind?
“Why isn’t it an option to call on your brothers?” she asked him.
“They’re all too busy.” Sometimes a lie was the best way to handle something. Especially when you weren’t quite sure what you were doing.
“And you’re not?”
Lucy knocked him off balance. And for a guy whose career depended on his stability, it was an unnerving place to be. “I need to do this,” he said, understanding that this, at least, was the truth. “Me. And nobody else except the help you’re so generously giving me.”
When she didn’t question his motive, they discussed the possibility of a deeper motivation behind Nicole’s assignment story. In the end, Lucy agreed with him that something bigger might be at hand and that questioning a few of Nicki’s friends would be the best place to start.
“I’m not sure me approaching a group of young girls would be wise,” he said. “I wouldn’t want anyone to get the wrong idea.”
“You’re probably right. I’ll handle it as soon as we get back from spring break.”
“Next week is spring break?”
She nodded.
“So we have to wait an entire week to find out?” He jammed his fingers into his hair and groaned. “I can’t just let my sister’s situation sit on idle. I’m worried about her.”
If he at least knew what he was dealing with, he could get Nicki the professional help she needed. “Her anger and her constant expectation that I’ll leave are unreasonable.”
“Then it’s important for you to stick around,” Lucy said. “Can you do that? Can you put your life on hold for another week?”
Jordan knew where his heart wanted to be. He knew where his dedication lay. But he also had a professional contract and things in that direction could turn real ugly, real fast. He didn’t even want to acknowledge the part of him that missed lacing up his skates and hitting the ice.
It had been weeks since he’d played. He missed the roar of the crowd. The camaraderie with his team. The rush through his blood. He loved what he did for a living. Without it, he really had no idea who he was or who he could be.
It didn’t surprise him that he defined himself by his career. It was all he’d ever had. Changing that now would take time and focus—two things he currently didn’t have stockpiled in his favor.
“I’ll figure it out,” he said. “I need to do what’s best for Nicole.”
Lucy smiled. “You’re a good brother.”
“I’m a shitty brother who’s trying to make up for practically ignoring her her whole life.”
“Well, hopefully her friends will have some insight. I’ll see what I can do to speed up the possibility of speaking with them.”
“I’d appreciate that.”
Jordan took a drink of his wine and his mind wandered for a minute. When he refocused Lucy was talking about Nicole’s group of friends. Her expressions became more animated. Or maybe that was just cause and effect of the wine she’d been sipping. He’d refilled her glass twice, and since he didn’t know her well enough, he figured he’d best keep an eye on how much more she drank. Not that he was opposed to her loosening up a little.
Nope.
Not opposed at all.
“It’s crazy,” she said, waving her half-empty glass.
Uh-oh. What did he miss?
“Did you know there are girls at Sunshine High who spend over a thousand dollars on pr
om?” she asked him, then continued because obviously he had no answer. “Whatever happened to just buying a dress and a corsage and borrowing Dad’s car? I mean, now these kids rent stretch limos and have after parties that go till dawn. And they dress like movie stars. They guzzle champagne in the back of the limos with fresh strawberries dropped into their crystal flutes even though they aren’t legally old enough to drink.”
Jordan frowned. How the hell did they get on the subject of prom?
“Oh come on. Isn’t that what prom was like for you?” he teased.
“Me? Pfft. I didn’t go to prom.”
“Why?”
“Didn’t have a date.”
“If I hadn’t been such an idiot, I would have asked you.”
The wineglass halted halfway to her lips before she returned it to the table. With her fingertips she edged the glass farther away. “I’m sorry. I’ve been talking too much. This isn’t about me. It isn’t about prom or spoiled teenagers. We’re here to talk about Nicole.”
Maybe, but he definitely noted something in her words and tone. Although she’d never admit it, she felt left out having missed one of the traditions of the high school years.
“If I remember right, prom is just around the corner,” he said. “So maybe that fits into all of this with Nicki.”
“I never thought of that.”
“Mind if I ask you something?”
Her head tilted back a little, like she didn’t quite trust where he was going. “Sure.”
“When a conversation becomes about you, why do you always turn it around to something else?”
An uneasy laugh bubbled from her lips. “I don’t do that.”
“Yeah. You do. It’s like you think you’re not important enough to talk about. Well, I think you are.” Frustrated, he sipped the last of his wine, then grabbed her half-empty glass from the table and carried them into the kitchen.
While rinsing the glasses he tried to clear his mind of all the unpleasant things Lucy must have gone through in her life. The moment he turned off the faucet, he wasn’t at all surprised by what thought surfaced to the top. A plan, really. And one she probably was going to fight like a bad hair day.
